A Shove In The Right Direction
by charlie-sjer
Summary: An old friend plays matchmaker - Chapter 23 up, more to come. (SJ)
1. Watching

A Shove in the Right Direction

  


_Title :_ A Shove in the Right Direction

_Author :_ Charlie Brown

_Email :_ charlie_girl_brown@hotmail.com

_Status :_ WIP

_Category :_ Sam/Jack

_Spoilers :_ Paradise Lost, Fallen

_Season info :_ Season 7

_Sequel info :_ None

_Rating :_ G

_Content Warnings :_ None

_Summery :_ An old friend plays matchmaker

_Disclaimer :_ I'll only say this once - I have no money. Please sue me so I can get some fame!

_Author's Note :_ This is a response to the **2001 Matchmaker Challenge** as well as the **1999 Married Challenge**

  


* * *

  


A set of beady eyes watched SG-1 emerge from the Stargate and descend the small staircase to the grassy surface below. A stout man was crouched behind a large shrub, hidden from view of the foursome. Of course he knew that it was a possibility that they would happen to come to the planet that he now called home, he just didn't think that it would be any time soon.

"Well I'll be damned!" He whispered to himself. He was quite shocked to see Daniel Jackson, because, as far as he knew, the man was dead. Then again, he was also well aware that these people had all been dead before. "Why can't they just stay that way?" Not that he really had anything against the group, it was just getting hard to keep track of.

Teal'c scanned the horizon, he seemed to sense that he was being watched.

"Everything okay, T?" He heard the Colonel ask.

"It is nothing, O'Neill." The big man relaxing somewhat (not much though, after all he is a Jaffa), followed his leader over to the MALP. Since it had come through some four hours ago, triggering the sensors that were in place, he had made his way to the stone ring to case the visitors. He had been waiting for over two hours before the gate had reactivated. For a while the MALP had whirred and swiveled, sending back telemetry, then Jack O'Neill and his campers had stepped through. They were currently gathered near the DHD.

Feeling that this was a good time to slip away, the observer quietly departed.

More to come...


	2. Waiting

An hour and 20 minutes later the strange man arrived at the small village, situated approximately 12 clicks from the 'Gate. 6 months ago it would have taken him considerably longer, but he was quickly becoming used to the lack of motorized transport or even horses on the planet Kadina, know to the SGC as P58-774. The village was small, but there were others within walking distant. The Mindi tribe, that had accepted him into their village, regularly traded with the surrounding inhabitants, as well as interbreeding with them in order to prevent the degradation of the gene pool. Such an emphasis was placed on this that nearing every harvest moon a small celebration would be held in order for the young adults as well as other single tribe members to mingle. The festivities lasted several days and many marriages took place during this period. He had only been to a few of these gatherings, and paid little attention, as he was not particularly interested in finding a wife. Come to think of it the next one would begin tomorrow. 'I bet Daniel will love that!'

Beady-eyes looked at his watch (yes, he still had one after all this time away from earth), in about half an hour, SG-1 would be happening upon his new home. It was the closest village to the Stargate. He couldn't wait to see the look on Jack's face when he found out that this is where they'd sent him after their last little encounter.

More to come...


	3. Welcoming

At last O'Neill, Carter, Jackson and Teal'c arrived. Immediately, Daniel began the introductions and what not, stating that they were peaceful explorers, yada, yada, yada. One of the older children was sent to fetch one of the elders, whilst others continued talking to the visitors. It wasn't often that they had guests from other planets, and they were quite eager to question the newcomers. After a few minutes, Gahni, the chief elder joined them, welcoming them and showing them to a teepee like structure where they could leave their belongings and, when evening came, retire for the night. After that they were left to their own devices. Splitting into two pairs, Sam and Daniel left to explore the village, whilst Jack and Teal'c remained to secure their accommodation. Finally, emerging from behind one of the dwellings, the stout man greeted the not-so-strangers.

"Hello Jack."

Jack stared in disbelief, blinked a few times, and stared again. This couldn't be happening.

"Maybourne?"

More to come...


	4. Warning

After much yelling and explaining, O'Neill accepted that Harry was going to be hanging around. Maybourne didn't think that Jack would get so cranky about it. After all, it was Jack's idea that he find a place to retire offworld. Promising to keep out of their way, he left the Colonel and Teal'c and went in search of the other half of the team. About 20 minutes later he located Jackson and Carter. They were speaking quite animatedly, well Daniel was speaking and Sam was listening to him, with a few of the more educated members of the tribe. No doubt Daniel was trying to learn the entire cultural history of the planet. Maybourne stood watching them for a while, content to observe, as he spent most of his time doing precisely that these days. Soon it became obvious that the Major was tiring of the history lecture and made the fact known to the archeologist, which escalated into an argument. As they got louder the natives scattered.

"Well, if you didn't want to hear about the culture, why didn't you stay with Jack?"

"You know why, Daniel!"

"Oh right, how could I forget." The sarcasm is his tone grated on Sam's nerves.

"Daniel…" She warned.

"No, Sam, you and Jack need to sort things out. Teal'c and I are sick of the tension between you two."

"Then why don't you tell him to apologize."

Harry, having heard enough of their bickering, interrupted.

"Would you mind keeping it downover here?"

"Stay out of this Maybourne," Sam scowled, she was still angry at him and herself for allowing him to take her Zat on P5X-777. "This has nothing to do with you."

"Now, now Major. That's no way to talk to a superior officer." Seeing her eyes harden in anger, he changed tact. "Sounds to me like you have some dissension in the ranks."

"Sorry, Colonel, but mind your own business."

"Well, if you and Dr Jackson here, weren't arguing so loudly…" he trailed off.

"He has a point there." Daniel conceded, receiving a glare from Sam.

"So what kind of lover's tiff are you and Jack having now?" Sam was about to reply, most likely with a fist to the face but a voice from behind stopped her.

"Harry, what are you doing harassing my team? I thought I told you to stay out of the way." Jack O'Neill had heard most of the argument, but hearing Maybourne's last comment was the last straw.

More to come...


	5. Woops

Sorry that the chapters are so short, but I find that it keeps me motivated - don't ask me why.

  


* * *

  


"Sorry Jack, but this is my home now. And these two," he gestured to Daniel and Carter, "Were making a scene."

Jack gave a weary sigh. His eyes scrunched up and his mouth was drawn tightly in a grimace. Shaking his head, he replied.

"Daniel, Carter, go back to base camp." The teepee they had been shown before was designated as such. "Teal'c go with 'em and make sure they don't disturb anybody else. Harry and I are gonna have a little chat." With a few glares from Sam, the troops followed his orders, leaving the two Colonels alone.

"Aw, come on Jack! What did you expect me top do? They-" O'Neill cut him off.

"Hey, hey, I'm not gonna yell at you okay." Another sigh. "Look, Carter's pissed at me and I don't need you making the situation worse, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. What the hell did you do to get the Major so pissed?" His curiosity was getting the better of him, but he just had to know. After all it wasn't often that Major Carter would act so unprofessionally towards her CO. Jack must have seen the glint in his eyes because he gave in.

"You're not gonna stop bugging me 'til you find out, are you?" He looked at him for a moment and cleared his throat uncomfortably. "We were on P4X - whatever, and their society was male dominated. Daniel found it very interesting of course, spouting all that crap about assimilating the culture to fit in and all. Carter wasn't too happy about it, but went along with it. She wasn't even allowed to eat with us, she was made to serve, while we dined. When she came around to serve us, their leader made some sexist comment as a joke. Not wanting to seem out of place, I …I kind of made a worse one. I guess I wasn't thinking."

"Well, duh."

"Ya see, I knew I shouldn't have told you!" Harry could see that he was agitated. This thing with Carter must really be bothering him.

"Have you tried apologizing?" The glare he got for saying that made him squirm.

"Of course I've apologized, many times. But every time it seems I'm getting anywhere, I manage to stick my foot in it again. This happened almost a month ago. She really hates me."

"Oh, come on, Jack, I'm sure she doesn't hate you." He tried to reassure as O'Neill scrubbed his hands over his face, muttering,

"Jesus, I feel like I'm back in high school." He laughed wryly. "You know I even bought her flowers. She shoved them back in my face, claiming that I'd never buy flowers for Daniel or Teal'c, so I shouldn't buy them for her."

"So she wants to be treated like one of the guys, huh." The smile that crept its way onto his face gave away the fact that he had come up with a plan. "I have an idea…"

More to come...


	6. Win Win

"Are you sure this is going to work?" It was the fifth time Jack had asked.

"For the last time, yes!" 

The only way to get Sam Carter to forgive O'Neill would be to get her jealous. The upcoming festivities would provide the perfect opportunity. Harry even had the 'other woman', as it were, all picked out. She was quite a few years younger than O'Neill, but still older than the Major. The woman, Andarna, was one of the few people in the village that he would call a friend. Like him, she wasn't interested in marriage, which was something that Maybourne didn't quite understand. For himself it was simply that he didn't really belong here, at least not yet, and if he was honest with himself, he wasn't that much of a looker. She, however was strikingly beautiful - long ebony hair, a smooth creamy complexion and eyes, deep grey-green in color, that gave her an aura of wisdom. She was slender and well toned but not very tall, standing at a height of 5'4". She, like himself, was a secretly a romantic at heart, not that either of them would admit it if they were asked. She would be happy to help bring the two officers together.

"Okay, so… how do we do this? I mean, how do I get her jealous? I don't really want to do anything with this other woman. That'll just get her more annoyed."

"All we have to do is make it look like you and Andarna are interested in each other. Major Carter's imagination will do the rest." Harry replied as they made their way to Andarna's home.

"I still don't see how this is going to work."

"You said she wanted to be treated like one of the guys, right, so that's what you're going to do. Meanwhile you're going to be treating Andarna like a woman. It won't take long for Samantha to realise which treatment she prefers."

"And what if she prefers being treated like one of the guys?"

"Well then she'll be happy with the way you're treating her. It's a win-win situation Jack. Anyway, we're here."

More to come...


	7. Women

After explaining the situation to Andarna, she happily agreed to the plan. To get things in motion she would provide SG-1 with dinner, over which she and Jack would flirt brazenly. Of course it meant nothing, but it would be fun for her, none the less. Harry wouldn't be joining them so as not to arouse suspicion, he didn't think the other members of SG-1 would appreciate his company. In fact the only reason that Jack put up with him was because of their stint on an alien moon that had lasted a month. They had… bonded in a way. I mean what brings two men closer together than trying to kill each other?

The meal was pleasant enough, the main dish the equivalent of roast pork. So far the flirting was minimal, just small smiles, brief touches, that kind of thing. Jack wasn't quite comfortable doing this, but desperate times call for desperate measures. So when Andarna announced dessert, mustering up a sexy expression and injecting as much innuendo as he could, Jack O'Neill opened his mouth, letting escape one of the worst pick up lines he had ever delivered since his high school days.

The meal was pleasant enough, the main dish the equivalent of roast pork. So far the flirting was minimal, just small smiles, brief touches, that kind of thing. Jack wasn't quite comfortable doing this, but desperate times call for desperate measures. So when Andarna announced dessert, mustering up a sexy expression and injecting as much innuendo as he could, Jack O'Neill opened his mouth, letting escape one of the worst pick up lines he had ever delivered since his high school days.

"If you'll excuse me I'm not in the mood for dessert." She dropped the spoon she was holding and stood abruptly, shooting a glare in his direction, as she left.

"You know what? Me neither. I'll see you guys later." And then they were minus an archeologist.

"I need to partake in Kel-no-reem." 

"I didn't think you needed to do that anymore, what with the Tritonin and all." Jack was slightly confused. Teal'c merely stared at him and raised his eyebrow, although the latter was almost imperceptible. "Oh." The big guy was bailing too.

Once they were alone, Jack voiced his concerns.

"Look, I don't think this is such a good idea." Andarna simply smiled.

"Do not worry, it is definitely working."

"Really, 'cos she just looked pissed to me." This elicited a laugh from the woman next to him.

"Believe me, your Sam is jealous, no matter how unhappy she is with you right now. Trust me. I am a woman."

"Woman's intuition, huh." Jack sighed. "Maybe I should go and apologize to her." Andarna gave a sigh of her own.

"If you did that you wouldn't be treating her like 'one of the guys' now would you." It was more of a statement than a question and although she was unfamiliar with the term, she understood the meaning. "Besides, we have tomorrow to plan."

More to come...


	8. Weeping

When Sam reached their teepee, all the anger that she had been feeling had disappeared, leaving only a deep despair that made her heart convulse. She couldn't expect him to wait for her forever, and after this last month of bickering she wondered if he still cared for 'more than he was supposed to'. Hell, she wondered if he cared for her at all. Dropping onto her bead roll, she curled up, wrapping her arms around her knees, and tried not to think about her CO and that woman. It was like Edora all over again, and look how wonderfully that turned out. She bit down on her bottom lip in an attempt to stop the tears from forming. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm down. It would do her no good to let the others see her like this, especially Colonel O'Neill. 'Well that might not be a problem,' her brain supplied. 'He probably won't be sleeping here tonight.' By now her lip was numb from the pressure of her teeth, but it had suffered in vain. Hot, salty tears erupted from her closed lids, the lump in her throat aching for release. She opened her mouth, intending to draw in breath, but her body responded in a different manner. Unbidden, a small sob, followed by increasingly louder ones, escaped from somewhere deep inside. And as much as she tried, she was powerless to stop them.

Teal'c had caught up with Daniel after departing, and the two of them had made their way to the teepee also. They would have entered if not for the sounds of a woman in anguish filtering out from with in. As much as Daniel wanted to comfort Sam, he knew that it was not something that she could talk about. She was having a hard enough time as it was keeping her feelings at bay. Getting her to admit them would do nothing but bring more pain. The empathetic side of Daniel wanted nothing more to help his friend, but his instinct told him otherwise.

"I think maybe we should give her some time."

"I concur, DanielJackson."

"You know what? Why don't we go have a little chat with Jack." He suggested, receiving Teal'c's customary raised eyebrow in response.

More to come...


	9. Words

Jack was a little surprised when Teal'c and Daniel returned to Andarna's. They were, Daniel probably more so, as equally surprised to find the Colonel clothed. Apparently one or two incidents could give a guy a reputation.

"I'm glad I'm not interrupting anything." Daniel breathed a sigh of relief, as he sat down at the table, now cleared of their evening meal. 

Jack was a little perturbed by the comment. It was no one else's business if he chose to get involved with someone. They had no right to judge him. No, he wasn't going to get involved with her, but it was the principal of the matter.

"What do you want, Danny?" 

"I want to know what's going on?"

"What's going on…?" He repeated, his tone raised in a questioning manner. "What do you think is going on?"

"What do I think is going on? What do I… I think you're being an ass, Jack. I think that you're just annoyed because Sam hasn't been laughing at all your lame jokes recently. I think that you deserve the way that she's treating you after all the crap you've put her through."

"Daniel." O'Neill's voice carried a warning. 

"No Jack. Don't 'Daniel' me. For the last six years, Sam has been nothing but professional. Even after you ignored what it took her to get you back from Edora." He saw Jack wince at that, but carried on regardless. "After you did your undercover stunt. And let's not forget Kynthia. The sexist comment you made on the Archeopteran home world and your behaviour tonight were the last straw. Jesus Jack, you really know how hurt her, don't you! For God's sake, she's in the teepee crying her eyes out -" Daniel stopped abruptly, his eyes widening as he realized what he had just said. Sam would be mortified. 

Jack's eyes also widened, but in disbelief. He could not recall a time where he had seen her cry. Sure he'd seen her shed a tear or two, but nothing like what Daniel described.

"What are you talking about? Carter doesn't cry." He really didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to hear any of the things that Daniel had told him tonight but it was time to face reality. Years of stretching the boundaries of his relationship, with his 2IC, and kicking it around had taken its toll. The seems were on their last tether and it was in danger of falling apart.

More to come...


	10. Wishing

Sorry about the short chapters, but trust me, I'll finish faster if I do it this way.

  


* * *

  


Sam lay silently on her sleeping bag, the sobs that had wracked her body ceased when she had become too exhausted to carry on. She thanked any real gods that none of her team mates had seen her in this condition. She had wondered briefly where they were, but decided that it didn't matter. She wanted to be alone right now. Truthfully she wanted to be with Jack, but that was impossible for two reasons. First and foremost were the regulations, and those she could deal with. The other obstacle was the native woman Andarna. That she found more difficult to address. Her first preference being void, being alone was the next best thing. It gave her time to think. The Colonel always said that she thought too much, and he was right. Unfortunately, her thoughts were all too often focussed on work related matters, her emotions and all the things that really mattered taking a back seat.

She found herself wishing that she had been placed on any other team but SG-1. Maybe she could have avoided falling in love with him. She could have avoided all the hurt and pain that those feelings caused. Then of course she never would have known his dry humor, gorgeous brown eyes and boyish charm. All the things that made her laugh and smile, as well as the things that made her heart do somersaults. She would have missed all the small moments they had shared, the private jokes, the brief, yet lingering touches.

Tears began to well again in her eyes, as she realized that she wouldn't ever give up the time that they had shared for anything. Yes, there were bad times, but they were heavily outweighed by the good. The bad times only being so because of the strength of her emotions. She loved him, she couldn't deny that, but perhaps it was time to move on.

More to come...


	11. Why?

Whilst Daniel had been yelling at Jack, both Teal'c and Andarna had remained silent. Feeling that she should try and put the archeologist at ease, Andarna came forward.

"There is something we must confess Dr Jackson." Daniel looked at her with something akin to dread in his eyes. "You see, the reason that Jack and I have been acting so, was not because of any attraction to each other, it was, rather, to make Major Carter jealous."

"To make her jealous? Why? What could possibly come from making her jealous?" he said, folding his arms and raising his eyebrows.

"I too, do not understand how you would expect to accomplish anything from this activity." Teal'c's eyebrows put Daniel's to shame.

"You know what? Me neither. It was all Harry's idea. I-" He was cut off by an irate Dr.

"Maybourne? You listened to Maybourne." 'No wonder it's such a stupid idea' he added silently.

"Well it sounded good at the time!" Jack defended.

"Exactly what is this idea?"

"The idea," Jack said, his voice thick with sarcasm. "Was to make Sam jealous so that she'd want to be treated like a woman again, instead of one of the guys."

"Since when has Sam ever wanted to be treated like a woman? From what I've heard about your first meeting, she was quite adamant about being considered 'one of the guys' as you put it."

Jack was about to launch into how Sam actually liked being treated like a woman, until he realized that the truth was, it was he who liked treating her that way. The words died on his lips before they even had the chance to be uttered. He released the breath that had been taken in order to propel his argument, his body and heart deflating as he accepted this information. 

Was it merely the fantasies of a tired old soldier that allowed him to believe she wanted to be treated as the fairer sex? Was it because he felt that if he treated her as a woman, she would respond to him as a man? But surely these fantasies were based on some semblance of the truth. For if Daniel was correct, Sam was crying her eyes out over him right now.

"What a royal mess!" Jack muttered, wishing he knew how to fix things.

"Ya think?" Daniel responded sourly.

More to come...


	12. Weird

Sorry I havent posted in a while, got distracted by Chrismas shopping.

  


* * *

  


When Jack emerged the next morning, he expected quite a different attitude from his second in command. She was surprisingly chirpy and even friendly towards him. It was getting weird. He had tried to apologize and explain numerous times, but she'd just change the subject. He was beginning to get frustrated. Usually he would have been quite happy with the turn of events, it would mean that they didn't have to deal with anything. Today however, Jack O'Neill actually wanted to talk. He wasn't going to risk his relationship with Sam falling apart like his marriage had.

It was only 1100hours and Sam was beginning to get tired. She'd exhausted herself crying last night and her sleep had been restless. Add to that the effort of putting on a brave face as well as being friendly to the colonel, and you get one very tired Major. Sighing heavily she reminded herself that after this mission, things would be better. As soon as they got back she would ask for a transfer to another team. If she were really lucky Hammond might even give her her own command. Okay, so maybe that wasn't very likely, but if she played her cards right she might get to take over SG4 when Colonel Healy retired. Scuttlebutt was that he was thinking of leaving within the next six months. Knowing that she would soon be away from O'Neill gave her a new surge of energy. She would finally have a chance to get over him. God knows she had tried, but being around him made it incredibly difficult. Most of the time it wasn't too bad, sometimes, when he was in a foul mood, it even helped her to move on, but then there were those times that he did something that would make her fall deeper. Like when he gets so confused while she's explaining one of her theories. His eyebrows bunch together and his lips are parted as if ready to say 'what?' When he gets really confused he interrupts and make that weird 'ack' sound, she half expects him to put his fingers in his ears. Damn it, stop it, Sam berated herself. Why did he have to be so adorable? So much for the second wind. Packing up her equipment she secured the samples she had collected. There wasn't much of interest in the soil or water, but it was standard procedure. This mission was more off a Daniel mission. He got to study a foreign culture while the rest of them tagged along for the ride.

More to come...


	13. Wistful

Okay, sorry about the big time gap since my last post. On with the show.

  


* * *

  


Daniel, being Daniel had accepted an invitation from Gahni to attend a festival they were holding that evening. Normally she would have loved to experience an offworld party, but this time it meant extending their trip by 24 hours. 24 hours more that she would have to be in Colonel O'Neill's team. The best she could hope for would be that the festival would give her a chance to unwind and relax. As long as the Colonel didn't pick a fight she would be fine.

  


By 1700hours Jack had resigned himself to the fact that Carter was going to nothing but professional towards him. While it meant no more screaming matches and piercing glares, it also meant that their friendship was well and truly over. He mourned the thought and despair resided in his heart. Seven years they had known each other. They had been through situations that no one could have imagined, aliens and alternate universes, death and resurrection, life and love. He knew he was being maudlin but at the present point in time he didn't really give a damn. A part of him had died as a result of his own carelessness and unwillingness to deal with his emotions. The least he could do was learn from the experience, let himself grieve for what was lost instead of belittling it.

Alone in the dense forest surrounding the village, he wept.

Alone he brooded on the past, remembering with intense longing the beginning of their camaraderie. 

Alone he recalled the sharp tongued feminist he'd encountered for the first time in the briefing room. Her brazen attitude a front for the bright, passionate and friendly woman he discovered her to be, her sense of humor a perfect compliment to his own.

Alone, his thoughts slowly became more melancholy, only focussing on the unhappiness, the times where they had bickered, the awkwardness that grew from their ever-building attraction. These days, he reflected, it was rare for a man and a woman to have the kind of friendship they'd once enjoyed. It was a crying shame that their …love…and in direct association their friendship, had both been instigated and encumbered by duty and regulation.

Alone, he died inside.

  


The colonel had disappeared for some time before the beginning of the festival. The devil on her shoulder insisted that he was with Andarna, while the polite, perfect second-in-command angel reminded her that it was none of her concern. By the time the meal was ready to be served he had returned. He looked ragged and weary - nothing like the man she was used to seeing. Where was the air of command he usually carried, where was the confidence? On closer inspection she noticed that his eyes were flat, even in the glow of the firelight that surrounded them.

The team sat together to eat their meal, but few words were exchanged. Thankfully there was no sign of Maybourne. Teal'c and Daniel finished rather quickly, leaving her alone with O'Neill. In the spirit of professionalism she decided to use this opportunity to tell him about her upcoming request to be reassigned. He took it rather well, accepting her reasoning with regret. They sat in silence for a short time until he spoke again.

"We were good together, you and me," he stated wistfully. "We were good…" 

Standing suddenly he nodded as a form of goodbye, and then he was gone.

She'd expected to feel release once he knew. She expected to have a burden removed but the sadness in his voice weighed her down. He was right. They were good together, great even. Was their friendship so tattered that it stood no chance of repair? Had waiting all this time been in vain? In a blinding moment of clarity Sam realised that if all they had wanted was a brief moment of lust, they would have most likely ended up in bed together long before now. It wasn't lust that drew them together, though neither could deny its presence, it wasn't the cause of their problem. Respect and friendship were the building blocks of their relationship. They cared deeply for each other and it was for that reason they seemed to keep hurting one another.

With the colonel gone she felt empty. Before all this mess, she'd only ever felt alone when she was by herself. Now, it was a deep seated loneliness. She'd never understood before, the difference between the two. Even after her mother died, Mark had been there, if not for her father, he had been there for her.

More to come...


	14. Wallowing

This chapter's short (well, they all are) but work is getting in the way.

  


* * *

  


"I can't believe you blew it."

Jack was startled by the voice of Harry Maybourne coming from behind him. He had been so lost in his reverie that the outside world had ceased to exist. 'Way to go O'Neill. You're supposed to be on a mission here.' he silently admonished himself. If Maybourne could creep up on him, then anybody could. "Just leave it alone, Harry."

"You do realise that if you don't fix things, she's probably going to ask for a transfer, right?"

The noise that Jack let out sounded closer to a cat being strangled than to a laugh, but the situation was hardly amusing. "She already has."

"Ah, well, hmmm…"

"What's the matter Maybourne - no smart ass reply?" He really wasn't in the mood for Maybourne's two cents.

"Well, I just so happen to feel that Earth stands a better chance of defeating the Goauld with you both in the same team, that's all."

"Gee, thanks." He said in his usual sarcastic way.

"You're an ass, Jack!

"Where the hell did that come from?" Jack was really beginning to lose his cool.

"I'm just stating a fact." Harry defended himself.

"Well, don't!" he snapped back.

"Fine, but you need to get back to the party. Gahni wants to make a speech."

He couldn't believe the nerve of Maybourne. For a man who has once been against their every move, he had sure done a one-eighty. Before Jack could chew the man out he was already gone, heading back to the party. Deciding that, in interest of the SGC, it was best if he returned for the Chief's talk, he rose and moved off in the same direction.

More to come...


	15. Why Not?

Sorry about the big gap in posting. Blame RL.

  


* * *

As he and Maybourne sat down amongst the crowd that had gathered, he tried to understand what was being said. Soon, realising that it was a foreign language, he tuned out only to have his attention drawn outward again by the arrival of Sam Carter.

She sat down next to him without saying a word. He looked at her for a good minute before turning away from her silence. Sighing, he wished that there was something he could say to her to make her change her mind. Luckily for him, he didn't have to.

"I'm sorry," she said, and before he could tell her that she wasn't the one who should be apologizing she added; "I've been bitchy."

"No-"

She cut him off. "Yes. I have. I shouldn't have made such a big deal of everything. You were trying to be diplomatic and as usual you stuck your foot in your mouth. It's not the first time."

He couldn't argue there, though he was surprised by her candor.

"I'm still going to ask Hammond for my own team, but I want us to be friends again."

"Me too." He didn't dare say anything else as he was sure it would come out all choked up. The immense relief he felt upon her admission had knocked down some of his defenses. Although he would have preferred to have her on SG-1, he was happy to have her friendship back. He didn't know what had sparked her change in attitude, nor did he question it. He was never one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Overhearing their conversation, Harry took advantage of this perfect opportunity. "You know this ritual is all about forgiveness." He lied.

They both turned to him with identical annoyed expressions on their faces, obviously none to happy about being eavesdropped on.

"You should join in." he prompted.

"Whadda ya say, Carter?" Jack asked, slightly hopeful that she would agree. It would comfort him to have some sort of official reconciliation. "Wanna be an Anthropologist?"

Sam grinned at him, remembering one of their first missions together. That dress was hideous. At least she wouldn't have to dress up on this occasion. "Sure, why not."

Smiling triumphantly, Harry rose to his feet. "I'll just go tell Gahni."

More to come...


	16. What on Earth?

Hey look, a not-so-short chapter.

  


* * *

The next day, General Hammond greeted SG-1 from the control room. He could see that there was something seriously wrong with his flagship team. Daniel and Teal'c seemed their usual selves, only somewhat subdued. Colonel O'Neill had a look of thunder on his face and Major Carter looked like she was trying to melt into the background.

He sighed inwardly, wondering what on Earth, or any other planet for that matter, could have happened out there. "Report to the Infirmary, debrief in one hour." He barked over the intercom, then retreated to his office to prepare for whatever they were going to tell him.

An hour later, he wished that he had a glass of bourbon. He couldn't believe what his ears were hearing.

Daniel shifted uncomfortably in his chair as he listened to Sam and Jack try to explain the situation. If he wasn't aware of how much trouble this could cause, he would have found it quite amusing.

Teal'c sat silently, hoping for a resolution. There were many things about the Tau'ri that he did not understand and this was one of them. However, O'Neill and Major Carter had always insisted on adhering to protocol in these matters. How unfortunate it was that they were in this predicament because of a misunderstanding.

Jack sighed and allowed Major Carter to take over the explanation.

"Sir, I realise that we should have been more attentive as to what was going on, but as Colonel O'Neill explained earlier, they were speaking another language that Daniel has had little experience with. It's no ones fault that something was lost in the translation."

"Unfortunately, Major, Colonel O'Neill also told me that Harry Maybourne was with you at the time and that he appeared to have a firm grasp of the language." George really wanted to be able to do something to help, but the circumstances allowed very little leeway. "Ordinarily, the ceremony you participated in wouldn't affect the rules of this Government but the agreement signed by the president, when Colonel Maybourne was relocated there overrules that."

"What agreement?" Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter asked at the same time, worry etched in their faces.

"In order for Maybourne to be allowed to stay, their tribe leader, Gahni as you know, insisted that if they were to give sanctuary to him, he must be fully sanctioned by their laws. So we had a contract drawn up stating that any and all laws on Kadina were to be considered legal and binding by the United States Government. That includes the rituals performed at the ceremony."

"General, surely there's a loophole somewhere." Daniel tried to offer assistance.

"I wish there was Dr. Jackson, but it's watertight."

"Damn," the archaeologist hissed under his breath.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Jack erupted, and Sam just sat in shock. "You're telling me, that because of that no-good weasel, Maybourne, Carter and I are actually MARRIED!"

"Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do, Jack." The General tried to calm the man down. "Hopefully, because you two didn't understand what you were getting into, we'll be able to get the marriage annulled."

"Uh, that's not possible," Daniel piped up. "Their laws state that the only way a marriage can be broken is by death."

"Well, in any case, it might help in preventing court martial." Hammond tried to see the upside, but even that looked dim. "There's nothing more that can be done now. I'll talk to the president as soon as possible. I'll let you know when I've gotten anywhere. Dismissed." He retreated to his office.

Daniel and Teal'c got up and headed for the door, but the two air force officers remained seated.

Quietly, Daniel conferred with his alien friend. "Should we stay?"

"I believe it would be best to leave them to talk, Daniel Jackson." The Jaffa knew that they had much to discuss, and felt that it was not his business, nor anyone else's, to intrude. Together they left the room.

More to come...


	17. White Wedding?

Sorry about the delay, RL is reaking havoc.

  


* * *

"Carter… Carter," Colonel O'Neill tried to get her attention, without much success. "Sam?"

She seemed to be having some sort of out of body experience. Her physical being may have been in the briefing room, but her mind was miles, light years away. Her brain was trying to absorb and process the information that it had been given. Last night after the ceremony she had laughed when Daniel told them that they were married. He had been very insistent that it was not a joke. She had clamed him down by saying that it didn't matter, that it was an offworld culture and had no baring on the United States' marriage laws. After all, if the USAF recognized all the marriages that occurred offworld then a great many of it's officers would have spouses on other planets, in fact she and the Colonel would already be married by the laws of the Shavadai.

It seemed that fate was against them on this particular occasion. Their marriage was legal and permanent. There was only one way for the marriage to end and neither of them relished the idea. In fact, if Jack was honest with himself, he quite liked the idea of being married to Sam. If Hammond could deal with the regulations and save them from court martial he would definitely try to make it work. He just hoped Sam felt the same way.

He waived his hand in front of her face in a last attempt to rouse her from her daze. "Sam… Samantha! Hey Sammy."

Well, that last one seemed to do the trick. Her head snapped up so fast he was sure she would suffer from whiplash. "Don't call me 'Sammy'," was all she said before rising and leaving the room. Jack sighed and followed suite. He and Sam had a lot of things to sort out, and as much as he loathed 'talking', he was more opposed to the possibility that he would lose her as a friend and lose the chance that she might agree to be his wife.

  


* * *

The term 'confused' didn't do justice to the way Sam was feeling right now. On one hand she was mad, angry, downright furious with Maybourne. On the other, she was shocked and possibly a little excited.

He'd knowingly tricked them into getting married. The bastard had told them it was merely an exchange between friends, a reconciliation. Lying rat. Honestly, she wasn't all that surprised - he'd never been honest with them, why would he start now?

Sam sighed as she admitted to herself the real reason she was pissed. He'd taken away the one thing that she had looked forward to for the last few years; her reward upon defeating the Goauld. When she and Jack were finally able to get married, she wanted the whole big-white-wedding thing. Jack might've been married before, but this was her first time and she had wanted it to be special. But after the last few months she wasn't even sure that they had any future together. She'd been on the verge of requesting a transfer, for crying out loud! As much as she wanted it to work, she just didn't see how it was possible. There was too much water under the bridge, and the bridge itself was badly burnt.

Sitting down on her bed in her quarters, she pulled her knees to her chest and hugged herself tightly. She felt like everything was falling apart. Just when she'd decided to move on with her life, it had thrown her a curveball. She laughed bitterly. Jack would have a field day with all the clichés running through her head. She closed her eyes tightly as the laughing turned to sobbing. Her body gradually tilted to her right until she was lying, stretched out, on her side. Eventually she cried herself to sleep.

This was how Jack found her half an hour later, in the last place he'd thought to look. He'd expected her to bury herself in the lab, or hide away in Daniel's office or in the infirmary with Janet. Hell, he even thought she might have left the base.

He took a moment to study her. She looked tired and sad, even in sleep. It hurt him to think that he was the cause. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea for him to be here, he had a habit of making things worse. She was probably dreaming up ways to get a divorce. He should probably be doing something along the same lines. Sadly, he resolved to find a way, if only to make her happy. As much as he would love to stay married to this bright and beautiful woman, she deserved more.

Feeling a little out of place, standing in her doorway, he turned to leave.

More to come...


	18. Walking Away

If this is a bit doesn't quite meet the usual standard, it's because I'm half asleep. Please review and let me know if I have to rewrite this chapter.

  


* * *

The sound of the door squeaking on its hinges was enough to lift Sam from her light slumber. The familiar silhouette, outlined by the light in the hall, was about to leave.

Not wanting to be alone, she called out to him. "Sir?" It was quiet and the word grated as it left her mouth.

The figure in the doorway halted in its movements, but did not turn around.

"Colonel…" she tried again, in a stronger voice.

Still, he did not face her.

Her barely attained equilibrium shattered all around her, as anger, fear, loss and rejection waged war on her soul. She heaved a quiet sob, before whimpering "Jack?"

She sounded so lost. So confused. Not at all like the Sam Carter he had come to know and love. Yes. Love. The 'know' part he was not so sure about. While they had been working together for the last six odd years, their knowledge of each other was professional, friendly at best. Romantically, they were strangers. It was obvious to him, right then and there, that there were more sides to Sam Carter than just Major and Scientist. A great deal more. And it was high time that he start to get to know every little part of what made this woman who she was. There was only one thing holding him back.

Reciprocation.

If he wanted to know all that there was to know about her, she would, in turn, want to know about him. She would want to know what his favorite foods were, how he liked his coffee (although she probably already knows), which hockey team he supported, and so on, getting more and more personal. It was only a matter of time before the topics of Sara and Charlie came up, not to mention his parents. She would want to know why he hadn't ever mentioned them.

All of these later things, he knew he could deal with, he lived with them every day. But he didn't expect anybody else to. In fact, he expected them to run away, screaming. Which is why he didn't want Sam to know about any of them. Seeing her hightailing it away from him was not something he could handle at this point in time.

"Jack?" she called again, rousing him from is inner turmoil. "Don't go."

Her plea pulled at something inside of him, at the same something that had convinced him to accept the Tok'ra symbiote. In the space of a breath he was on the bed, pulling her into his arms.

"Don't go, Jack" she whispered, clutching at his back. "Don't go."

As he hugged her closer, he realised that, though it would take time, it was worth the risk of having her walk away. She might flee when she heard of some of the things he had had to do and witness in the darkest moments of his airforce career, at least what was no longer classified. She might also decide that he was not worth the emotional stress. But he would damn well do everything possible to keep her at his side, just for moments like this. Moments when they need nothing but to feel the comfort of the others arms.

"I'm here, Sam. I'm not going anywhere."

More to come...


	19. What Do You Think?

Happy Easter :) This has kind of taken a different turn than I planned, when I sat down to write, so it's going to go for a little longer than expected.

  


* * *

Many weeks had passed since Jack and Sam had agreed to give their marriage a go. And frankly Jack was a very happy man. He couldn't believe that things had worked themselves out in their favor. After years of hurdles and barriers, they were finally able to explore their relationship to its fullest potential.

They had both agreed that they needed to get to know each other outside of the SGC. So far they had been on seven dates and spent time together at numerous other team outings. It was rather strange to be dating while they were officially married. However, they had yet to consummate it. It wasn't that they didn't want to, they just wanted to take things slowly. Rather ironic after more than five years of working on the same team and all the waiting they had already done.

Jack thought back to the day when they first met. He'd stuck his foot in it, even before she had entered the room. Since then he tried not to assume gender when he heard a new name.

Chuckling to himself, he went in search of the woman in question. They had had a mission briefing this morning. Thankfully, SG-1 was still a complete unit. After they had decided to give it a go, she had promised him that she wouldn't leave the team.

Knocking on the frame of her lab door as he went in, O'Neill called out to Sam. Seeing that she was not at her bench, nor receiving a verbal response he headed to the infirmary, figuring she would be with Janet. Just as he rounded the last corner, the klaxons went off. Changing direction, he headed for the control room. Sam would most likely be heading there as well.

Sure enough, she was, along with the rest of the team.

"Do we know who it is?" hopefully they wouldn't have to hang around, he really wanted to talk to his wife. That thought brought a grin to his face, which he barely managed to conceal. Wife. He was such a sap.

"Receiving Tok'ra IDC sir."

Oh well, looks like the chat will have to wait. Sam was already heading down the stairs to the gate room, in case it was her father.

CRAP! Jacob. How the hell were they going to explain that they were married? He was a dead man. As much as he was sure that the Jake liked him, he wasn't quite sure how the man would react to having him as a son in law. Maybe he'd get lucky and it would be some other Tok'ra.

As two figures emerged for the event horizon, he knew that he was completely out of luck. Jacob and Anise made their way down the ramp to greet them. Jacob pulled his daughter in to a tight embrace, while Anise came and stood by Jack, a little too closely if you asked him.

Deciding that now wasn't really the best time to tell his new father in law about their union, Jack resisted the urge to hide behind Sam in order to get away from Tok'ra Barbie.

In the briefing room Sam couldn't stop glancing between her husband and her father. It still felt unusual to call him her husband, especially since they had yet to go beyond first base. When Jack had suggested that they refrain from being physical until they had gone on a few dates, she had thought it sensible, but now she was just aching to jump him. He wouldn't even allow light petting. Frustrating hardly encompassed it. When they were kissing, as soon as her hands went below his neck, he would break it off. So far she had remained quiet on the issue, but she had hoped that they were going to go further tonight. No chance of that now her father had shown up. She'd be lucky to get a peck on the cheek.

"What do you think, Sam?"

"Hmm?" she hadn't a clue what they were talking about.

Jacob gave her an odd look, but repeated his suggestion, "Would you mind your old man staying at your place for a week or two?"

Sam fish-mouthed for a minute before plastering a smile on her face. She was happy that she would get to spend some time with her father, but she wasn't quite sure how to broach the subject of her marriage. "That would be great." She just hoped that she sounded appropriately enthusiastic. She also wondered if she could still go out with Jack tonight, liked they had planned. "I'm out tonight though, you don't mind looking after yourself?"

"Not at all."

Sam smiled, sincerely. It was nice to have her father come to Earth just for a visit. At first, when he had shown up with Anise, she'd thought it was about a mission. Turns out, she had just wanted to come along on the off chance of seeing Jack or Daniel. Apparently things were pretty slow for the Tok'ra, despite recent Goauld activity. She'd have to make sure to lay it on thick in front of Anise, just to let the woman know that Jack was a taken man. Poor Daniel would have to fend for himself.

More to come...


	20. Windows

I was supposed to have finished this story by now, but my muse demanded that Jacob get in on the action. Don't worry, I won't let him hurt Jack...much.

  


* * *

Sam had caught a taxi to the restaurant in order to prevent her Dad from seeing who she was going out with. As much as she wanted to tell him, she hadn't figured out the best way to break it to him. She and Jack had discussed it over dinner and they still were yet to come up with any way that would be suitable. Now they were on their way to her house. He'd insisted that he drop her off, claiming that cabs were too expensive and that her dad would most likely be asleep already.

Jack pulled up to the curb in front of Sam's house.

"I'd offer for you to come in but…" she let the sentence hang as she undid her seatbelt.

"Say no more." He understood completely. They weren't ready to face Jacob yet. "Call me tomorrow?"

"Of course." She smiled and leaned over for a goodnight kiss. What was supposed to be a chaste kiss, soon escalated into an all out make-out session. Although in an uncomfortable position, the couple didn't seem to care, nor did they notice Sam's dad looking through the front window of the house.

The street lamp provided enough light for Jacob to see exactly what was going on inside the car, and he didn't like what he was seeing. Fuming, he went to the spare bedroom to cool off. It would do no good for him to loose it. Surely there was a rational explanation for why his daughter what necking with her CO. Yeah, right! And Anubis was the tooth fairy.

He sat down on the bed and waited for the sound of the front door. After ten minutes of hearing nothing, he left his room to investigate. Looking out the window again, he saw that they were still at it. Oh, he was definitely going to have a talk with her, and Jack was a dead man.

Breaking off their heated kiss, they both panted for breath. Sitting back in her seat Sam sighed in chagrin. What she wouldn't give to drag the man next to her inside, and have her way with him. "There is no way, I'm going to be able to sleep tonight." She moaned.

"Me neither." He wriggled in his seat trying to find a more comfortable position for the bulge in his trousers.

Noticing his obvious arousal, Sam moaned again. She was very tempted to demand that he take them to his house and ravish her all night long. Unfortunately, it would be awkward to explain to her father, why she hadn't come home that night. It was one thing to let her father know that she and Jack were dating, but for him to know that they were sleeping together, it was a whole 'nother ball game.

Forcing herself to leave the car, she said goodnight and headed inside. Opening the front door quietly and locking it behind her, she crept down the hall to her room. Changing and falling into bed, she snuggled under the covers and fell asleep with a smile on her face.

More to come...


	21. Waffles

Thanks for all the reviews, you have no idea how giddy they make me :D

  


* * *

Sam awoke to the smell of sizzling bacon, wafting from the kitchen. With a grumbling stomach and a salivating mouth she crawled out of bed. Reaching the kitchen, she saw her dad cooking up a storm.

"What's the occasion?" she asked, a light tone of amusement in her voice. It was a very rare occurrence to see her dad in an apron, slaving over a hot stove.

"Oh, just thought I'd make the most of my vacation." He replied with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. The breakfast was only a ploy to get her to drop her guard. She didn't realise that she was going to be interrogated after she ate.

"What's on the menu?" Sam's stomach was loudly demanding to be fed.

"Bacon, eggs, sausages, waffles, pancakes and juice. Dig in."

After polishing off 3 rashers of bacon, a fried egg, a sausage, 2 waffles and half a pancake, Sam thought her stomach would explode.

"That was fantastic, Dad. You should visit more often."

"I agree. It seems that there are a few things that I've missed while I was away." His tone of voice confused her. He sounded angry.

"Like what?" she ventured, trying to ascertain what was bothering him.

"Oh you know, this and that. For example, did you know that the Anaheim Angels won the world series? And then there's the fact that my daughter is sleeping with her CO. I gotta say, I can't decide which fact shocks me more."

His flippant attitude caused Sam to see red. While she could understand his concern about her relationship with Jack, his presumptuous statement hurt. "Well, if you had your facts straight, you would know that I'm not sleeping with him, and you would know that he was not just my CO, but my husband!"

Jacob practically choked on his own air. "Husband? Holy Hannah, when the hell did you get married? And to Jack? Am I even in the right reality?" The revelation was a bit much for him to take in. Suddenly, his eyes flashed and his body relaxed.

"I apologize, Samantha, but your father is somewhat overwhelmed by the situation." Selmac explained.

"I can imagine. Jack and I really wanted to tell him together, but I guess someone beat us to it, with the wrong information. How did he find out, anyway?"

It was Jacob who answered the query, having calmed down enough to deal with the current state of affairs. "I saw you two kissing last night."

"And you automatically assumed we were sleeping together?"

"You're really not sleeping with him?"

"No."

"Huh." He actually sounded kind of disappointed. Confusion followed. "But I thought you said he was your husband?"

"It's a long story. I really want to explain, but I want Jack here when I do. I'll call him, and when he gets here, we'll tell you everything."

More to come...


	22. Way Too Far

For NG - Jacob gets nasty.

  


* * *

Jack arrived soon after, and Jacob demanded answers right away. While he had accepted that he had a new son in law, it was his prerogative, as father in law, to mess with his head.

After hearing about Maybourne's involvement in the whole debacle and their reasons for wanting to stay together, he decided he wanted to make O'Neill squirm for a while. "Sam, could you leave me and Jack alone for a while?"

Sam looked apprehensively between her father and her husband.

"I promise I'll leave him in one piece." He assured.

"That's good to know." Jack quipped as she left the room.

"I didn't say you'd stay alive. Just in one piece."

"Oh." Jack sat up straighter, then moved to stand. "You know, maybe I should go, leave you and Sam to talk, chat, converse, discuss-"

"Sit down and shut up, Colonel."

This caused Jack to hastily retake his seat. "Yes-sir. Sitting. Shutting up, now."

Jacob pinned him with a stern glare.

Jack held up his hands and pursed his lips together, to promise his silence.

Jacob leant forward and put his elbows on his knees. Clasping his hands together in front of his mouth and dipping his head to hide a smirk, he gathered his thoughts. Jack looked petrified and he was going to take full advantage of this opportunity. "Just what makes you think that you are anywhere near good enough for my daughter?" He bellowed.

Jack tried to defend himself. "Jacob, I-"

"Shut up! I told you not to speak."

Jack slouched down into his chair, hoping it would swallow him up.

"Have you even thought about this? Firstly, she's way out of your league - and I'm not just talking about her looks. She's at least ten times as smart as you. And lets not forget about the age gap. What is it? Around 15 years? You're closer in age to me, than you are to her. What if she wants to have kids? I think that you're a bit beyond that time of your life, don't you?" He stopped to take a breath. Surprisingly, Jack didn't take the opportunity to speak. Jacob continued. "Don't you think she'd be better off with someone closer to her own age, someone with a little less emotional baggage."

The little bubble of happiness, that had been surrounding Jack for the past month, suddenly popped. Harsh reality crept in and began to invade his pores. Choking back the hurt, he spoke in a clam measured voice, "You know what, you're right." Standing up quickly and heading for the door, asking Jacob to say goodnight to Sam for him, he left the house. By the time Jake got to his feet, his daughter's husband was already gone.

'Crap.'

*You can say that again*

'I think I went a bit far, Sel.'

*Give him time to calm down. Speak to him this afternoon.*

Sighing, he flopped back down into his chair and rubbed his face.

In the master bedroom, Sam fought back tears. She had sincerely thought that her father approved of their marriage. It had seemed that way from their discussion at breakfast. Moving over to the bed she lay down and hugged a pillow. As much as she loved her dad, she also loved Jack. There was no way that Jacob would stand in the way of her happiness. She needed to talk to her husband, reassure him of her feelings, regardless of her father's. But first she needed some time to get herself together.

More to come...


	23. What's Wrong With That?

Thanks to everyone for the reviews. Hope you enjoy this chapter :)

  


* * *

After leaving Carter's house, Jack had hightailed it to the base. The general had reluctantly granted him leave and now he was on his way out of town. Thoughts of Sam and an impossible future drove him faster. He needed to get away, get some perspective, get over her. He wasn't sure where he was going or how long it would take, it didn't matter. His leave was indefinite at this stage. The general had given him two weeks, but said that he could call and ask for an extension if need be.

After a few hours on the road he realised where he was taking himself.

Chicago. His parents' house.

He hadn't been there for a long time. Not since Charlie had died. He hadn't wanted to see the look of pity on their faces. Now it was a different matter. He was reaching point in his life where he wanted to get everything settled, mend broken fences. He'd already talked to Sara, cleared the air between them. They'd discussed a lot, mainly Charlie. Relationships were the second favorite topic. She was in a serious long term relationship with a guy named Bruce Wayne. He'd laughed so hard when he'd heard that and made many jokes about bat-caves and bat-cars. She'd taken it with a roll of her eyes and a shake of the head. She knew how childish his sense of humor could be. In turn, he'd vaguely explained about Sam.

Now it was time to face his parents, to apologize for loosing touch with them, as well as his brothers and sister. It had been almost eight years since he'd seen them and wasn't quite sure what kind of reception he'd be greeted with when he arrived.

When Sam woke up, sometime later, she felt much refreshed. Siting up and straightening her clothes, she squared her shoulders in determination. Standing and making her way to the living room, in search of her father, she thought about exactly what she was going to say to him. He had a lot of nerve interfering in her relationship. She was married, for crying out loud! She grinned at both the fact and the oft used phrase. She really wasn't quite used to thinking of herself as a married woman. It felt good. She only hoped that Jack wasn't too perturbed by her father's harsh words. She'd have to go over to his place later and make it up to him. Her grin became sly as she thought up all the ways she could repay him now that regulations no longer stood in their way.

Finally locating her father out on the back porch, she steadied herself for the conversation ahead.

"What the hell did you say to Jack?"

"Look, Sam, I really didn't mean most of what I said."

Sam's eyes widened angrily. "You didn't mean it?" she practically yelled. "You insulted him over and over again, and you didn't even mean it?"

Jacob had the good grace to look ashamed. "I only wanted to see his reaction. I would have thought that he'd tell me to take a hike. I guess not."

"He would never do that." Sam stated as if it was something everyone should know. Placing her hands on her hip, she continued her expression pleading with him to understand. "Jack respects you, both as a former General in the United States Air Force, and as my father. Your opinion means a lot to him. And if you tell him that you don't think he's good enough for me and you want him to break up with me, then he'll respect your wishes."

"Sam, I'm sorry, I didn't realise that."

"Yeah, well he's good at hiding it." She sighed, tiredly. "I'm going to call him, and then you're going to go over and apologize to my husband, understand?"

"Yeah, I got it Sammie." She eyed him sharply. "Sorry, 'Sam'. You know, every time I visit, you're acting more and more like him."

"What's wrong with that?" She asked rhetorically, "He's a good man." With that she turned around and walked back in to the house to call Jack.

"That, he is." Jacob admitted quietly as he followed her inside.

More to come...


End file.
